The latest research of Kentucky students confirmed a truth most educators are already aware of and many young parents fear –only half of our children are prepared for kindergarten.

The study, based on kindergarten entrance screenings, revealed that only 50 percent of Kentucky children entering kindergarten are ready to do so. While the number is slightly higher in Shelby County –56 percent– it’s still leaves nearly 5 out of 10 Shelby County kids unprepared to start school.

When it comes to student searches, at what point do school personnel cross the line between the school’s rights to protect and the student’s rights to privacy?

While it is true that authorized school employees have the right to search students without consent, one Shelby County High School father believes the district crossed the line between protection and invasion and is performing random searches without justification.

The Shelby County Board of Education got a sneak peak of the district’s modern education tactics on Thursday when Assistant Superintendent Kerry Whitehouse and Tommy Hurt, the district’s chief information officer, gave a report on 21st Century Support Systems, the fifth strand of the Strategic Leadership Plan.

While the district’s one-to-one computing plan calls for each high school student this year to receive a digital device, the district has still not been able to secure funding.

The Shelby County Board of Education accepted the first draft budget for the 2015-16 school year Thursday night and based on projections using last year’s funding, the district is expecting a $538,162 increase in local General Fund receipts.

That good news is short lived, however, as the district also expects to see expenses increase by almost double that amount, with a little more than $1 million expected in expenditures.

In December, the Kentucky Board of Education announced that there would be a reduction in state’s SEEK funding. The state has not yet released the decrease amount, but district Superintendent James Neihof said the district is anticipating a one percent drop.

Thursday the Shelby County Board of Education will review the 2015-16 draft budget when the board convenes at the district offices at 7 p.m., at the district offices. 1155 Main Street, Shelbyville, but Neihof said the draft is just the first step of three in preparing the budget.